Cam Ward is going viral for more than just his dynamic football skills. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft — and new face of the Tennessee Titans — is drawing attention for a different reason: his high school basketball highlights are making the rounds online.
Cam Ward, the High School Basketball Star?
Ward, the first zero-star recruit of the 21st century to be drafted No. 1 overall, was introduced by the Titans wearing jersey No. 1. That number had been retired in honor of Warren Moon, but the 68-year-old Hall of Famer gave Ward his blessing to wear it.
Dov Kleiman, a popular NFL-focused aggregator on X, posted a clip of Ward’s high school basketball highlights. Ward played at Columbia High School in West Columbia, Texas, where he excelled in both football and basketball.
The clip, which already has over 100,000 views, shows off Ward’s raw athleticism. The Titans’ rookie flies to the hoop, shows off sharp court vision with a slick whip-around assist, and even drops a defender with a nasty crossover — not your typical football player.
Cam Ward basketball highlights đź‘€
The Titans drafted an ELITE athlete. pic.twitter.com/LYpVI1UphX
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman)
It comes as no surprise that Ward is athletic and played two sports in high school. His father, Calvin Ward, played football, while his mother, Patrice Ward, coached high school basketball for nearly 25 years.
Ward’s parents gave him the best of both worlds: his mother taught him the game of basketball from a coach’s perspective, while his father guided him on how to be a successful football player.
While we can’t say for certain, it seems that choosing football was the right decision for Ward and his family. Although his basketball highlights are impressive, it’s hard to imagine him going No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft the way he did in the NFL.
The NFL’s top pick signed a four-year rookie contract with the Titans worth approximately $49 million, fully guaranteed. This includes a projected $32.1 million signing bonus and a base salary of $8.9 million for his rookie season.
Now, imagine Ward chose basketball instead. Would he have gone ahead of Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, Victor Wembanyama, or Amen Thompson? Probably not — that takes a massive level of projection, especially for an athlete who measured in at 6’2″ at the NFL Scouting Combine.
The disparity in earning potential is eye-opening. That nearly $49 million guaranteed would have been difficult to reach in the NBA had he been a later selection. For reference, the average guaranteed money for the 15th pick in the NBA Draft is about $20.5 million, while the 30th pick — the final pick of the first round — earns around $12.8 million guaranteed.
Safe to say, Ward made the right call by sticking with football and making NFL history.
